Category Archive: Life

Voluntary Benefits Are Growing

Voluntary benefits (benefits purchased at work) grew 9 percent in 2013.

Voluntary health product sales experienced a 13 percent increase from the prior year. Accident, critical illness and vision products grew by double-digits for the third straight year. Life insurance sales rebounded in the fourth quarter. Total life sales increased 14 percent in the fourth quarter to end the year up 2 percent. A survey of 800 employers revealed the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA.) Three out of four employers said they have changed or intend to change their medical plan design in the near future. Cost shifting is the most common strategy among the surveyed employers. Sixty percent said they have already or plan to increase employee contributions to the cost of coverage.

With cost shifting and other plan design changes, voluntary benefits become the best option for employees to maintain their overall insurance coverage. Research has found that more than 60 percent of employees prefer to buy health and life insurance benefits at work. Employees like using payroll deduction.

 

Permanent link to this article: http://www.cookandcookassociates.com/2014/07/24/voluntary-benefits-are-growing/

First Comes Love, Then Comes Insurance?

Bridal bouquet close up and blurred newlywedsAs unpredictable as life may seem, if you step back and look at the big picture, you’ll see it tends to flow in an orderly fashion. You’re born, go to school, find a job, get married, have children, and so on.

In many ways, your insurance needs follow an equally predictable path. In fact, they tend to change in lockstep with many common life events:

Marriage: When you’re just starting out, your primary financial concern is usually income replacement. Since you haven’t had much time to save, term life insurance can be an affordable first step for many newlyweds.

Adding a child: As your family grows, so do your responsibilities. Not only do you have more mouths to feed, but a host of future expenses – such as college – to consider. Permanent life insurance can address both needs by giving you dependable, lasting protection, plus the growth potential of cash value.

Changing careers: When you switch jobs, chances are any life insurance you had through your employer will come to an end. Buying an individual policy before you leave will eliminate any gap in coverage, and give you the freedom to take your coverage with you wherever you go.

Transition to retirement: There are many reasons to add permanent life insurance prior to retirement. Not only are you likely to lose your employer-sponsored coverage (see above) but you can also use the cash value to help pay retirement expenses. Having life insurance at the time of retirement may also allow you to enjoy the higher monthly payments of a single life pension (since your spouse will have a death benefit to live on after you are gone).

Creation of an estate: In addition to paying final expenses and eliminating outstanding debts, life insurance can help you leave behind a substantial legacy. Even if you have no other assets, your death benefit is a tax-free give that can make a real difference to your loved ones – or favorite charity.

If you are about to experience these common or major life events, please give me (Larry Cook) a call at 858-361-0734 for assistance you may require. That way you can make sure that your life – and life insurance are headed in the same direction.

Larry Cook specializes in life, health, disability and long term care insurance planning for individuals, families and businesses. Larry has an ability to offer multiple types of insurance coverage from many different insurance companies. Larry’s motto is to tailor the insurance plan to the individual’s needs, preferences, and budget.

“There is no need to shop, we shop for you.”

Permanent link to this article: http://www.cookandcookassociates.com/2014/06/18/first-comes-love-then-comes-insurance/

Safety Net Concerns?

Safety Net ConcernsMany consumers have expressed concerns about the safety of entitlement programs.  Some have expressed concerns about the future of social security.  There are concerns about future funding for social security and the call by some politicians for means testing as a way to reduce social security payments.

Clients can address these concerns by creating a backup plan.  One strategy that clients can employ is to utilize life insurance to address a shortfall in benefits if a future full means test excludes them from having the benefits they thought they would have.  Life insurance can contribute to a family’s financial security regardless of what happens to entitlement programs in the future.

Permanent link to this article: http://www.cookandcookassociates.com/2013/08/16/safety-net-concerns/

Baby Boomer Aftermath

Couple holding hands.Financial Planning is more important than ever for the 78.2 million people labeled “baby boomers” (those born between 1946 and 1964). Part of the reason is we have a lot of Baby Boomers who are dealing with aging parents. In addition, those same boomers have lived through two huge setbacks in the stock market the last 12 years. Finally, boomers are concerned about the consequences of living longer and the resulting reality that they will likely live longer without a continuing employment based source of income. Utilizing the services of a trusted insurance & financial advisor can help boomers prepare for & navigate their future financial life in a positive way.

Permanent link to this article: http://www.cookandcookassociates.com/2013/06/20/baby-boomer-aftermath/

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